Attributes:

Domaine Le Roc

Côtes du Frontonnais, France

Dry Red Table Wine

750 ML

Food Matches:

Attributes:

Big Ass Wines

Napa Valley, United States

Cabernet Sauvignon

750 ML

2005: CGCW Rating: 84

light

dried cherry, spice

Food Matches:

(cab er nay saw vee nyon)—This highly adaptable grape grows almost anywhere it is relatively warm, but the best wines come from the Burgundy region of France (where it is a noble variety), California, and Australia. It became famous through the red wines of the Médoc district of Bordeaux and is now grown in Washington, southern France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes make wines that are high in tannin and medium- to full-bodied. Usually identified as having black currant or cassis flavors, the grape can also possess vegetal tones when the grapes are less than ideally ripe. The best wines are rich and firm with great depth, and are often aged for fifteen years or more. Because it is highly tannic, Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with other less-tannic grapes such as Merlot.

This tiny strip of land just north of San Francisco is home to America’s most prestigious wineries. Its climate is ideal for viticulture. Ironically, it was deemed too ideal for some vintners, who have moved their vineyards from the valley’s flat plain to the hills in the east and west, adhering to the idea that grapes that struggle to grow yield better wine. The climate, soil, and individual wineries are enormously varied, so it’s impossible to identify a singular trait of Napa wines. In addition, nearly every noble grape is grown here, although Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are the primary grapes. In the past, Napa’s wines have alternated between extremely fruity and fat to lean and subtle. Today the best Napa wines have achieved a balance between these extremes. Many are made to be drunk young and have abundant ripe fruit; others can be initially hard and tannic, but soften over four or five years to perfumed, cedary fruit. White Napa wines are excellent with fresh-grilled fish and chicken, but can also cope with more spicy and creamy flavors. Many Napa reds will overwhelm delicate cuisine, but rich red meat and cheeses do make good companions.

Attributes:

Cellers Capcanes

Montsant, Spain

Grenache

750 ML

2003: Tanzer Rating: 92

fresh

floral

focused

bitter, cherry, chocolate, dark fruit, espresso, meat, minerals, plum, spices, vanilla

2003: WineSpectator Rating: 83

supple

cherry, vanilla

juicy, sweet

2002: Tanzer Rating: 89(+?)

lively, tangy

floral

chocolate, orange peel

juicy

2002: Tanzer Rating: 92

2001: WineSpectator Rating: 90

full-bodied

coffee, plum, prune

concentrated, ripe

2001: Tanzer Rating: 90

fat

nuts, nutty, oak, red fruits

2001: Tanzer Rating: 89(+?)

concentrated, sweet

1998: WineSpectator Rating: 90

creamy, thick

Food Matches:

Originally from Spain, this grape comes in both red-wine and white-wine varieties and is often associated with France’s southern Rhone Valley. The Grenache grape does well in hot, dry regions, and its strong stalk makes it well suited for windy conditions. It ripens with very high sugar levels and can produce wines with high alcohol content. Grenache wines are sweet, fruity, and very low in tannins. They are usually lacking in color, except in growing areas where yields are low. In Spain Grenache is widely planted in Navarra as well as in many of the hotter areas of the country. In southern France Grenache is widely cultivated in the areas around Languedoc- RoussillonRousellon, Provence, and the southern Rhone. It is also extensively grown in Algeria, Australia, Corsica, Israel, Morocco, Sardinia and California's central valley. Red Grenache wines are usually blended with other varieties: trempranillo in Spain and cinsaut and carignan in France. It’s the primary grape in chateauneuf-du-pape as well as in several rose wines.